The present invention relates to conveyor assemblies for transporting lumber, and in particular to conveyor assemblies which are used for transporting lumber to and past a saw blade of a band saw.
Conveyor mechanisms for conveying lumber to and past a saw blade of a band saw are known. Some have a relatively simple construction (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,413) and some are rather complicated (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,324). Neither of these conveyor mechanisms are capable of gripping the opposite sides of lumber to be cut and positively driving the lumber to and past the saw blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,118 discloses a conveyor mechanism for a shake resaw machine which grips and drives opposite sides of wooden blanks both ahead of and behind a saw blade. However, the construction of the conveyor mechanism is rather complex and it is not adapted for adjustable positioning on a band saw table.
An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and efficient lumber conveyor assembly for positioning on a band saw table.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lumber conveyor assembly which can be adjustably positioned on a band saw table and which is capable of positively gripping each piece of lumber to be cut at two spaced apart locations, i.e., a first location ahead of a second location behind the band saw blade, and which can accommodate pieces of lumber of varying widths.